airplane

noun

air·​plane ˈer-ˌplān 

: a powered heavier-than-air aircraft with fixed wings from which it derives most of its lift

Illustration of airplane

• 1 weather radar
• 2 cockpit
• 3 jet engine
• 4 engine pod
• 5 pylon
• 6 wing
• 7 vertical stabilizer
• 8 rudder
• 9 10 tabs
• 11 elevator
• 12 horizontal stabilizer
• 13 inboard flap
• 14 inboard spoiler
• 15 16 tabs
• 17 aileron
• 18 outboard flap
• 19 outboard spoiler
• 20 sound suppressor
• 21 thrust reverser
• 22 cabin air intake
• 23 fuselage
• 24 nose landing gear

Synonyms of airplane

• plane
• aeroplane
• airliner

Examples of airplane in a Sentence

my uncle learned how to fly an airplane while serving in the air force

Recent Examples on the Web

McCauley then spent 30 years of his life as an international ferry pilot, flying more than 65 different airplanes and logging around 10,000 hours. —Celeste Edenloff, Twin Cities, 28 Nov. 2025

The Waffle Shawl Cape, now $39—a cozy, oversized layer perfect for chilly airplane cabins. —Kayla Kitts, Travel + Leisure, 27 Nov. 2025

He is then shown vigorously cranking the device to grind the beans while seated on the airplane. —Soo Kim, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2025

However, after one stray balloon wrapped itself around an airplane's wing in 1932, the practice was discontinued, and no more were released. —Alyssa Davis, PEOPLE, 27 Nov. 2025

Word History

Etymology

alteration of aeroplane

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Phrases Containing airplane

• airplane mode

Rhymes for airplane

• abstain
• alkane
• arcane
• arraign
• attain
• backplane
• betaine
• biplane
• blockchain
• butane
• campaign
• cetane

Kids Definition

airplane

noun

air·​plane ˈa(ə)r-ˌplān 

ˈe(ə)r-

: a fixed-wing heavier-than-air aircraft that is driven by a propeller or by a forceful stream of gases backward and is supported by the reaction of the air against its wings